Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-03-03


aged under the same principle, and are
under tho care Of the Municipal Coun-
ellis. The Paris house wish to have .
capital fund. but the government will
not allow it. The Town Of Lille Is the
only town which has fund (the result
Of private donations) for its pawnshop.
and charges no interest for articles less
than thirty francs value. Outside the
national institution pawnbroking Is
prohibited in France. A man was re-
Gently caught who carried on success
full business by buying up tickets. and
he will in due course be punished.
The pawnshop is an ancient institu.
ton. As early as 1893 ono was estab-
lished in Liegc. In the year 1862
several establishments called Monti di
Pieta were started In Italy. under the
caro- and protection OF The church. In
opposition TO the usury practices OF the
Jews, who, even ut that remote period.
seemed to have embarked in she old
clothes and money lending business.
AL the early Monts do Picte were con.
nected with churches or hospitals, and
were u species of charitable banks
which charged no interest. In 1889
the Lombards began to run pawnshops
in opposition to the Jews in Lombardy
and in Holland; but from the presence
of the jew and the three brass balls In
the same house il would seem that the
two had amalgamated at some period
in their history. The Monte de Pieta
was long of being established in France,
chiefly owing to the opposition Of NJ do
In Rcynie. chief Of the police in Paris.
Numerous projects were put forward
during the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. but they fell through,
though Colbert and other prominent
statesmen favored them. In 1902 the
Council Of Finance declared il would
be TO the "glory Of God, the service OF
the State and the public interest" were
Monts dc Piete established. Neckei
took the same view, and protested
against the conduct of the avariciou.
Jews and others who practiced on the
cupidity of the public and successfully
flecced them. 1t was not until Decem.
ber. l777. that Louis NV. sanctioned
the Mont de Picte. Soon after this
the first was opened at Paris. 1t wa
under the charge Of the chief Of polio,
and four administrato ~ of the genera
hospital. The rate of interest charged
was 81 and ~ per cent The concern
was a tremendous success. In the year
1888 there were 100000 different arti
cles pawned. At the time of the Rev
olution the Mont dc Piete was sup
pressed. on the ground that i
was a monopoly, and imme
diatcly the Jews and the LON
bard, stepped IN ami carriei on &
flourishing business. The republic
considered the condition of things Gin
tolerable. rc-established the Mont de
Piote after five years, and with slight
changes now and then in the admin.
istration it has continued ever since
with increasing success. There are.
however, opponents TO the system and
those who allege that it is mont sans
piety. But NJ. Edmond Duval, in a
work which he is preparing, giving the
whole history and administration OF
the institution, says that the annual
results of the Monte lie Piete show that
the establishment has become indis-
pcnsable to the population of Paris.
who are too intelligent TO pay any heed
TO the reproaches Of usury leveled
against il. Doubtless, he adds, some
alterations are necessary in the admin
istration, but no one can deny that IL
renders important services.-PaH Mall
On -eifp